{"id":3850,"date":"2013-06-19T17:46:36","date_gmt":"2013-06-19T17:46:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.com\/?p=3850"},"modified":"2013-05-31T20:15:30","modified_gmt":"2013-05-31T20:15:30","slug":"grotto-canyon-ice-walk-alberta-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/?p=3850","title":{"rendered":"Grotto Canyon Ice Walk: Alberta, Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Reliving our Spring Break trip in Banff, our first hike was to Johnston Canyon (where we had our encounter with a yuppie pig) and our second was to Grotto Canyon. \u00a0How could we NOT want to hike somewhere called the &#8220;Grotto&#8221;? \u00a0It was a beautiful sunny early spring day. \u00a0You know, one of those ones where the chill is still in the air, but the sun is finally warm on your skin?? \u00a0It&#8217;s the best kind of weather!! \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>To get to Grotto canyon, we had to drive about a 15 minute drive from our condo in Banff. \u00a0If you&#8217;re familiar with the area, it is closest to the town of Canmore. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/N2NCnu0EnuA\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The canyon is actually a creek bed, and during the winter months, the hike is actually on the frozen over Grotto Creek! \u00a0We had to have our ice clamps on our hiking boots, so make sure you have something for grip if you&#8217;re doing this hike in the winter. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_4400.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3829\" title=\"Grotto Canyon view\" src=\"http:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_4400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_4400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_4400-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>The start of the trail is not through the nicest of areas. \u00a0It goes right past the property of a mineral processing plant (and it&#8217;s loud) and past a gravel pit. \u00a0But, once you are through this area, the actual hike up through the canyon is pretty. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_4034.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3828\" title=\"Grotto Canyon Alberta\" src=\"http:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_4034.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"906\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_4034.jpg 600w, https:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_4034-198x300.jpg 198w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Along the way up the creek, on the limestone, there are pictographs left from the Hopi people and according to my readings, they look to be about 500-1300 years old. \u00a0There are many different images that you can see on the cliff, but the one that Paul captured below was the most prolific.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_3876.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3831\" title=\"Grotto Canyon Pictographs \" src=\"http:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_3876.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"906\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_3876.jpg 600w, https:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_3876-198x300.jpg 198w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>When we got to the end of the creek, or the start, depending on how you look at it, there was a large frozen waterfall of ice. \u00a0It is a popular ice climbing area and the amount of divots left along the way up the waterfall were evidence of many, many climbers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_3907.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3832\" title=\"Grotto Canyon Ice Falls\" src=\"http:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_3907.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_3907.jpg 600w, https:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_3907-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_3944.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3834\" title=\"Grotto Canyon Ice Walk\" src=\"http:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_3944.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_3944.jpg 600w, https:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_3944-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>If you continue the hike past the waterfall, it opens up into alpine like area. \u00a0About a 500-750 meters from the waterfall, the view opens up to expose hoodoos and a large cave, most likely created from water\/runoff. \u00a0The trail continues a couple of kilometers more, but we did not have time to continue climbing. \u00a0It&#8217;s definitely something I would like to do in the summer, as the upper alpine area is beautiful!\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_4009.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3835\" title=\"Grotto Canyon Cave\" src=\"http:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_4009.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_4009.jpg 600w, https:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_4009-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Grotto Canyon Ice Walk is definitely something neat to experience in the cold of winter. \u00a0I would definitely do it again!!\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_3828.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3830\" title=\"Grotto Canyon Climbing\" src=\"http:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_3828.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_3828.jpg 600w, https:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/DSC_3828-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"addtoany_share_save_container\"><div class=\"a2a_kit a2a_target addtoany_list\" id=\"wpa2a_1\"><a class=\"a2a_button_facebook_like addtoany_special_service\" data-href=\"https:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/?p=3850\"><\/a><a class=\"a2a_button_twitter_tweet addtoany_special_service\" data-count=\"none\" data-url=\"https:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/?p=3850\" data-text=\"Grotto Canyon Ice Walk: Alberta, Canada\"><\/a><a class=\"a2a_button_google_plusone addtoany_special_service\" data-annotation=\"none\" data-href=\"https:\/\/cookiescupcakesandcardio.co\/?p=3850\"><\/a><a class=\"a2a_button_pinterest\" href=\"http:\/\/www.addtoany.com\/add_to\/pinterest?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcookiescupcakesandcardio.co%2F%3Fp%3D3850&amp;linkname=Grotto%20Canyon%20Ice%20Walk%3A%20Alberta%2C%20Canada\" title=\"Pinterest\" 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